I think the Packers could of or did have had 3 impact rookies if Mogan hadn't been hurt and appendicitis. Pretty good, I think. Cooper would have had much more impact had he not started out injured. His best impact was freeing up another 1st rounder in Quay. Of course, I'm painting myself into a corner because I can be quoted as often saying here, "availability is the best ability".

I keep going back to the military. That newly-minted butterbar lieutenant isn't expected to be a difference maker. He's expected to learn how things are done, and he's gradually given more responsibilities. By the time he's a first lieutenant, he can help the team.

Still, some rookies do make a difference. But most don't.

Leatherhead, had to laugh about the Army's lieutenants. My father, WWII and Korea vet, always said that nothing is more dangerous than a second Lt. with a little knowledge.
Your comparison is right on!
Just MHO

I blame Gute.
The eagles fixed their secondary.
They became champions.

Chris Olave
Cooper deJean
Brock Bowers
Jayden Daniels
CJ Stroud
Brian Thomas Jr.
Joe Alt
Jared Verse
Joe Tippman

Exactly correct Mark. There is a reason people say you can't judge a draft until at LEAST three years later.

However, I'd like to say (for the tenth time... :-D ) that THIS year I am in favor of "chasing greatness." That is, I'm FAR more willing to risk picks on boom-or-bust THIS year.
The reason is exactly as you stated: We don't have ANY true "holes" in this roster.
We have a ton of "high-floor" players who are absolutely adequate starters. What COULD put us over the top is a few more high-impact guys. That's why I am leaning toward guys like Savon Williams, Jihaad Campbell, Shavon Revel, etc. and guys who are "very toolsy with high ceilings" like OL Josh Conerly and Charles Grant, who MAYBE put it together fast the way Zach Tom did, or maybe need a year or two to MAYBE become great.

I usually want high-floor players, but this year I don't want to add "more of the same" to our roster. Give me Savion Williams over Jack Bech, etc. I usually am not a fan of Gutey leaning into RAS over production, but this year I'll be okay if he rolls those dice.

Can't argue with this, although it's worth noting that a rookie can have an impact without being an above average player. A rookie who is solid and shores up a position of need is a valuable addition to a team.

I love when articles include information that directly refutes the thesis of the article itself:

"The theme? All six teams with two above average rookies picked from 23 onwards made the playoffs, which shows the surplus value having quality rookies can have, but also brings up another good point."

Is this not rookie impact? What would be the standard of rookie impact if not?

While Gutey's "urgency" comment was about winning "now", I do not see the 2025 draft class as essential to getting to a SB this season. They will help, maybe with a starter or two, and more so with key rotational depth.

For me, urgency is playoff wins for the next 2-3 years.

Next offseason, free agents or released players needing to be re-signed or replaced is a factual, team changing project:

DL: Wyatt, Enagbare, maybe Clark
OL: Tom, R. Walker, Rhyan
WR: Watson, Doubs
CB: maybe Alexander
LB: Q. Walker
QB: Willis

DL, OL, WR, CB. This draft lines up nicely with current season positional need & very helpful to maintain playoff urgency beyond '25.

Team Gutey is not just drafting for the "urgent" of the now, but also help navigate the "urgent" of the 2026 10-11 player FA class. This has to be configured in their draft board constructions now.

Draft an OL in round 1 again? Yeah, won't be popular, but in light maintaining coming depth needs, makes sense. A LB in round 2? Or two WRs in the first 4 rounds? What, 2 DL in the first two rounds? Trade backs for more picks at DL, OL, WR, CB? All possible.

Are the Packers likely to make the playoffs? The schedule doesn't set up as well this year as it did last year. When a division gets 3 teams in the playoffs it usually means that division got a schedule break. Their record inside the division was 1-5 with a one point victory over the lowly Bears as their only victory that needed a block FG to seal it. I know the 2nd Bears game they sat starters but barely making it 1-5 inside your division is a worrisome.

I do expect the Vikings and Lions to take a step back but will that be enough? The Bears will be improved and if Johnson can get Williams to view the field like a NFL QB they might be much improved. If you look around the NFC I expect Seattle to be better, Rams have a very good QB and Coach combo and the Cards aren't a team to sleep on. Eagles will be the favs to win it all and Washington looks like they hit big time on their QB. If Atlanta hit on their QB their offense could take off and Tampa will be in the mix.

The Packers are playoff contenders but it is going to be scrap to get there. They have some good talent but they also have plenty of holes that need to be filled if they want to compete with the top of the conference and take over the division again.

A player doesn’t have to be an all pro to make a difference. He just has to help us be better. For example, MVS’ 600 yards as a rookie helped us by stretching the field, something we’d not been doing the year before. Valentine helped us a lot as a rookie. Were either stellar in league terms? No, but they helped us significantly. Reed upped our slot game significantly as a rookie. Last year we saw Cooper help us. At least to start it looked like Morgan would. I’d say Williams before his injury was another step up acquisition.

I agree with the writer that it’s foolish to expect a rookie to come in and be the best at his position, but that doesn’t mean a draft can’t improve a team in the year it is made.

This seems more like an apologist article than anything else. No, we don't expect every rookie to make an instant impact, but waiting around for somewhere in the neighborhood of three years for first round prospects to justify their selections is unreasonable.

And rookie WRs can make a big impact. Just look at Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, Devonta Smith, and Zay Flowers to name a few. Sure, we may not technically "need" a promising rookie WR to start, but it sure as hell would be helpful if we're interested in getting this pass offense working again and putting more points on the board.

One has to be able to properly evaluate those first-second rounders who should/will flourish immediately. GB has had many chances.

Generally speaking - NFL players peak in their mid to late twenties - with most players reaching their prime between the ages of 25 and 29. So the younger the player/rookie - the lower my expectation for an early ROI.

"If your goal" does a LOT of heavy lifting in that headline/subhead. EVERY team is ALWAYS trying to find & draft rookies that'll have an immediate impact.

No such wave of 'frustration' with the Packers' draft philosophy exists. Some 'fans' misread what it's all about; they use Sports as an excuse to make self-indulgent demands of the world that the world is never, ever going to fulfill. Fate sentences them to raging disappointment for the offense of their own expectations. Some portion of a fanbase is like this; it's a psychological thing; it's not new this year. It's not more pronounced either, online media just amplifies the loudest, angriest, least informed voices.

Nowhere are the multiple fallacies on full display in this article more blatant than in the claim that "the slow development of the likes of Lukas Van Ness, or even success stories like Rashan Gary, [is] causing fans ire." Nah. Not even close.

I mean, which is it? Are fans frustrated & angry at the success stories AND the delayed development of a prospect? Are we supposed to be mad even when an impact player's *strong* production arc doesn't *perfectly* match your fairytale expectations? Because we're not. Few of us are disappointed or upset b/c we read newspapers: the Packers method works, draft picks don't pan out all the time, and disappointment is par for the course (see, a sports metaphor). Loud fans who don't get it are in no position to represent the green bay packer fanbase. Mark Oldacres is in no position to say otherwise.

NFL teams don't 'purchase' players; they sign them.

"How many of these first round picks from last year would have been described as ‘plug and play’ or players who could provide an ‘instant impact’?"
Eight out of 11 were analyzed as plug-&-play and everybody knew that the scouting relied on reality, not on some seance. That's not a slam on Gute or the Packers method. Didn't think Jordan Morgan was their guy, they couldn't find a trade-up partner or didn't want to pay the cost; no issue. Those scouting reports don't change after the draft to suit the premise of this article.

Caleb Williams
J.C. Latham
Rome Odunze
Olu Fashanu
Taliese Fuaga
Byron Murphy
Dallas Turner
Amarius Mims
Troy Fautanu
Terrion Arnold
Graham Barton

All I want to see is MLF and Love plan better and play better, if Love doesnt show growth the team will be lucky to make the playoffs, and I sure as hell dont want to ever hear the two year old excuse of "but theyre a young team" again...Packers arent in the old NFC Norris division anymore, all the teams will be a tough out this year...the draft will help but along with it will come the "give the guy two more years of growth" like we're hearing about LVN...

The article set a nice perspective on expectations. The only rookie I saw that made an immediate impact was Willie Buchanon who was arguably the best corner in the league when he hit the field. A lot of the veteran DB's were taken aback as Dan Devine showed films of him at San Diego State as part of coaching sessions. I will take several more Clay Mathews and Brian Bulaga types that looked like and were long time starters right out of training camp. It was a shame Buchanon broke the same leg twice or he would have been Hall Of Fame bound but still had a solid Pro Bowl career.

Wow, isnt the real issue centered on where your drafting as much as who. If your getting a 1-7 draft pick, dam right your picking people who can and should make an immediate impact. Many future Hof's.
If your constantly at the end of round one you'll get help but not an impact player usually.
That's why when I see a team bundle to move up and take a top early round pick they are often getting a difference maker and more important a fixture player. Someone who fills a hole for a long time with pro bowl level play year in year out. Aka, Steelers and Watt, Vikes and Shep Smith.
Quality picks versus the gb quantity picks. I'll take q all day.
To me Gutt favors having lots of picks hoping something sticks versus bundling those picks to get a premiere difference maker. And I'm not talking moving one spot for a Love either. A guy you didn't need at the time.

Hi, Thank you so much for sharing such great information. This is absolutely an informative blog.

remember when all the world were telling the packers to draft cooper dejean???
but no...the 3 genius on board, murphy, lafleur,gutekunst went other way.
dejean was almost the SB MVP.
dejean
mitchell
jalen carter (from 2024)
3 rookies that made immediate impact and 2 of them were keys to SB in their rookie year.
that is not the only example, there are many.
so rookies can make an immediate impact, but you need to have a good war room and we haven't it at all.